Samson's Hair Began to Grow

When Samson’s hair began to grow, what did it prophesy? Well, first, it prophesied hope for Samson. I will be bound to say that he put his hands to his head and felt that it was getting bristly. And then he put his hands to his beard and found it rough. Yes, yes, yes, it was coming and he thought within himself, “It will be all right soon. I shall not get my eyes back. They will not grow again. I am an awful loser by my sin, but I shall get my strength back again, for my hair is growing. I shall yet be able to strike a blow for my people and for my God.” So round the mill he went, grinding away, grinding away, but every now and then putting his hands to his head and thinking, “My hair is growing! Oh, it is growing again! My strength is returning to me.” The mill went round merrily to the tune of hope, for he felt that he would get his old strength back. When they loaded it and tightened it to make the work heavier, yet his hair was growing and so he found the burden lighter than it had been before—and his heart began to dance within him in prospect of being his former self again!

Now, if any of you have signs of God’s restoring Grace in your hearts and you are coming back to your God and Saviour, be glad, be thankful! Do not hesitate to let your renewed devotion to God be seen by those around you. Come along, Brother, come along—your Brethren wait to receive you! Come along, my wandering Sister, come along—all the people of God will welcome you! If the Grace of God is moving you at all, be hopeful and quicken your steps and come to Jesus! Come to Him just now even as you came at first. Yes, and if you never did come before, come now and throw yourselves at the foot of the Cross and look up to those five precious wounds! Look and live for there is life in a look at the Crucified One! There is life at this moment even for the chief of sinners!

What did this prophesy? Joy for Samson, but, also, hope for Israel. Oh, if any of the Israelites did get in to see him in prison, how they must have been cheered by the sight of his returning hair! Some ancient Israelite would say to his brother, “I have been to see poor Samson. You remember him. We had to put him out of the Church, you know. Sad case. I have been to see him.” “How did he look?” “Well,” he would say, “there was much to grieve me, but somewhat, also, to comfort me. He does not look as he did on the day when the Philistines shaved him. He looks quite hairy again.” “Oh!” the other would say, “then he will get strong again—and when he is strong, he will use his mighty arms against the oppressors of his people. I know he will fight for his country again. When he gets strong again, he will lift that brawny arm of his that smote the Philistines and he will let them know that he is yet an Israelite. I know he will, for his heart will return to the love of God and His chosen. Philistia shall not always triumph over us. There is hope for us.”

Lastly, what did it prophesy? Well, it prophesied mischief for the Philistines. They did not know it, but if they could have read the writing in Samson’s heart, they would have understood that he meant to shave their nation quite as closely as they had shaved him! There was a storm brewing for Philistia. He that tore the lion as though it had been a kid was getting back his strength! He that seized the jawbone of an ass and said, “Heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of an ass have I slain a thousand men,” will soon be scattering death among the oppressors of his people! Woe to you, lords of Philistia! Woe to you, princes of Gaza!

When a sinner who has gone astray is restored again, it means mischief to the kingdom of Satan. Oh, how he will serve his God! How he will try to bring back his fellow sinners! Having had much forgiven, this man will love much and will serve Jesus much! He will be one of your earnest Christian men, depend upon it! He will be much in prayer! He will be careful in his walk! He will be holy in his speech! He will contend earnestly for the Doctrines of Grace! He will be a leader among the host of God, even as he had been a ringleader in sin! He will invade the dark places and lead the chief of sinners captive to the Cross! Woe to you, Philistia, when Samson’s hair grows again! Woe to the hosts of evil when the backslider is restored!

There, I have put it all before you. I have tried to put the matter interestingly, but all the while my heart has been yearning over you that have gone aside. I am pining for the restoration of those who have turned like the dog to his vomit and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. I long for your restoration, or your true conversion. I want to see a different nature in you, that you may neither be dogs nor swine, but may become the real children of our God and Father! And then you will not return to your former ways. If you have defiled yourselves, may you at once be washed! If you have wandered, may you at once be restored to Jesus and His Church, to the praise and the glory of His Divine Grace wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved! Amen.

 

- Spurgeon